Laundry equipment



United States Patent lliro Toyarna Skokie;

Arthur B. Aurbach, Chicago, lllinois April 3, 1968 Dec. 8, 1970 Hydraxtor Division Automatic" Sprinkler Corporation of America Cleveland, Ohio a corporation of Ohio inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 220/69, 68/10, 220/63, 294/77 Int. Cl. B65d 7/42, B660 1/12 [50] Field of Search 294/77; 220/63, 69; 248/97, 98, 100; 68/10, 210

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,211,324 10/1965 Sapien 220/63 FOREIGN PATENTS 856,036 3/1940 France 68/210 Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attorney-W. R. l-lulbert ABSTRACT: A laundry tub comprising a sling-molding container open at the top and of generallytrapezoidal cross section and having a pair of diverging, sling-molding walls extending upwardly from the container bottom to provide a container top larger in area than the container bottom.

LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT This invention relates to laundry equipment.

It has been recognized that materials handling between production points is the major problem in modern large scale commercial laundry operations. Far more time and manpower than desirable is expended in handling soiled work, conveying to the washroom, storage, handling to conditioners and conveying to finishing stations.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved laundry truck tub which materially increases handling efficiency, with a corresponding drop in handling cost. Other objects include providing a tub which shapes a laundry sling for easier handling and in a configuration especially suited for quick and easy loading of loose laundry thereinto.

The invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a truck tub comprising a container open at the top and having a pair of diverging, sling-molding walls extending upwardly from the container bottom to provide a container top larger in area than the container bottom. In preferred embodiments, the sloping sling molding walls diverge at an angle of I25from the vertical, the container is mounted within a horizontally-extending frame, and the hooks are mounted on the frame.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. I is a sectional view of a laundry tub constructed in accord with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sling of the type intended for use with the tub of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sling of FIG. 2 in the tub of FIG. I; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the sling of FIG. 2 being lifted from the tub of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a laundry tub, generally designated 10, comprising a container I2 mounted in a frame 14. As shown, container 12 has a trapezoidal longitudinal cross section, is open at the top, and includes a rectangular bottom plate 16 with a plurality of circular drainage holes 18 therein, a pair of opposite vertical side walls 20, 22 and a pair of opposite sling molding walls 24, 26 extending upwardly from bottom plate 16 and diverging outwardly at an angle of about 17 from the vertical. The adjacent side edges of sling molding walls 24, 26, side walls 20, 22 and bottom plate 16 are welded together. The container 12 illustrated is approximately 31 inches high, 26 inches wide, 46 inches long at its top and 27 inches long at its bottom.

Frame 14 comprises a horizontal top plate 30 defining a rectangular central opening 32, a cup-shaped recess of generally trapezoidal cross section communicating with the sides of opening 32 and extending therebelow, and four wheels 36 attached below and four hooks 38 welded on top of plate 30. The recess is defined by a base plate 40 having a large drainage opening 42 therein and a pair of end walls 44 extending upwardly from plate 40 to plate 30. End walls 44 diverge outwardly at substantially the same angle as do slingmolding walls 24, 26 of container 12. One wheel 36 and one hook 38 are located adjacent each corner of plate 30. Each hook 38 comprises a generally step-shaped rod mounted with its axis extending longitudinally of frame I4 and its raised strap engagement portion 46 parallel to plate 30. Container 12 rests within the recess and, typically, is spot-welded to frame 14. As shown most clearly in FIG. 1, frame 14 is slightly longer than container 12 and the outward ends 48 of hooks 38 are spaced slightly inwardly from the outer edges of plate 30 so that they lie in substantially the same vertical plane as do the outer ends of container I2.

A canvas sling 50 of the type used with laundry tub is shown in FIG. 2. As illustrated, sling 50 comprises a substantially rectangular open tube with a width and length substantially equal to those of the top of container 12, and a height several inches more than the containers slant height. A canvas sling 52 having a free loop portion 54 extending some 12" beyond the top edge of sling 50 is attached to each corner of and extends the full height of the sling. A drawstring 58 is provided at the slings base.

In practice, drawstring 58 is tightened to close the bottom of sling 50 and the sling is placed in container 12 with the sling sides folded over the top of the container sides and loops 54 hooked over strap engagement portions 48 of hooks 44. Loose laundry may now be placed in the sling. Loops 54 insure that the sling is not pulled into container 12 as it is filled with wet laundry. As the sling is loaded, the sling and the (typically) wet laundry in it are molded into the same configuration as container 12. Then, when a fully loaded sling is withdrawn from truck tub 10 by placing loops 54 on the hook 60 of an overhead hoist (see FIG. 4), the laundry in the top portion of the sling is lifted and piled on top of the laundry in the center portion of the sling so that the sling and laundry therein form a generally elongated and rounded cross section with lower opposite side portions 62, 64 diverging upwardly from a bottom portion 66 that is smaller in cross section than is the top of container 12 and upper opposite side portions 68, 70 converging towards one another. The diverging cross section configuration of the lower portion of the sling makes it extremely easy to place the fully loaded sling in a second truck tub. The overall elongated, rounded configuration also facilitates loading out laundry into a round extractor. When the sling and wet laundry are lowered into the extractor, the laundry and sling retain the rounded configuration molded by the sling, thus materially relieving the hand labor previously required to shape the laundry to fit the extractor.

As previously noted, the outward divergence of sling molding walls 24, 26 also make it easier to load loose laundry into the sling. It has been found if sling molding walls diverge outwardly at an angle of I025 from the vertical, container 12 molds a sling into the desired trapezoidal cross section configuration and provides for easy loading of loose laundry, while at the same time maintaining a large enough capacity to hold a full laundry load.

Other embodiments within the scope of the following claims will occur to those skilled in the art. I

We claim:

l. A laundry tub for molding a laundry sling in a configuration having diverging side sling portions extending upwardly from a bottom portion, said tub comprising:

a sling molding container of generally trapezoidal cross section open at its top and having a pair of diverging slingmolding walls extending upwardly from the container base;

a horizontally extending frame having an upwardly facing portion defining an opening therein for receiving the base portion of said containen said container being mounted within said opening;

a plurality of sling engagement hooks secured to said frame a substantial distance below the top of said container;

said sling molding walls being adapted for molding said side sling portions when laundry is placed in a sling mounted in said container;

said hooks being adapted for holding said sling in position when said laundry is placed therein; and

said container molding said sling in said configuration with said sling bottom portion smaller than the top of said container.

2. The tub of claim 1 wherein said sling molding walls are oppositely placed.

3. The tub of claim 1 wherein said sling-molding walls diverge at an angle in the range of 10 to 25 from the vertical.

4. The tub of claim I wherein said upwardly facing portion defines a recess in which said container is mounted, and each of said hooks includes a substantially horizontal, longitudinally-extending strap engagement rod portion, said each hook being secured to said frame with the outwardly facing end thereof substantially vertically below an outer-transverse edge of said container.

5. The tub of claim 4 wherein the bottoms of said container and said recess include drainage openings. 

